Interchangeable sign



June 14, 1938.- A SORENSEN 2,120,418

INTERCHANGEABLE S IGN Filed July 17, 1957 Ski OW MarTin A. Soren s-en tmu BMW;

Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to interchangeable signs and in particular to signs having a base or main panel together with interchangeable supplemental panels carrying various indicia.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an interchangeable sign having a plurality of panels for alternative use, the panels being secured together so that they will not become misplaced or lost.

Another of my objects is the provision of an interchangeable sign in which the form of the sign as a whole may be altered together with the indicia carried thereby so that the form of the sign will conform to the various Federal, State and other regulations governing road signs.

Another object which I have in View is the provision of an interchangeable sign having novel latching means for latching the panels in any position of adjustment.

Having in View these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I-will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a face view showing the interchangeable sign in one of its positions.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the sign in another position and with alternative indicia.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section on the median line of the sign post and showing particularly the arrangement of the latching devices. V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of the upper portion of the post and sign and showing particularly the various latching devices.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the lower end portion of the latching bar and the means whereby a padlock may be inserted for securing the latching means in fixed position.

In my drawing I show a very specific embodiment of my invention and in the following description I confine myself to the same specific embodiment but without restricting myself to the use of the precise details which I show and describe. The drawing and description are designed for showing a sign which is adapted for use as a traffic signal at school crossings but the principles involved are of very much wider application.

The support for the sign is a post In in channel form as best shown in Figure 7. To this post is secured a main or base panel H which in the present instance is in octagonal form to conform to the United States standard for stop signs which must be distinctive in several respects including the octagonal form. The panel ll may 5 be secured to the post 10 in any desired manner. This panel includes a middle portion with top and bottom portions, the three portions or bands being approximately equal in width. Two supplemental panels I2 and l,3 are hingedly con- 10 nected to the panel I l in a manner suchthat the panel l2 may be folded up against the panel II and the panel l3 may be folded down against the panel [2 as best shown in Figure 3. For this purpose I employ looped hinges l 4 and 15 in ribbon form and passing through suitable slots of the panels l2 and I3 to provide freedom of movement of those panels without binding. The loopin the hinge l5 must be longer than the loop in the hinge l4 since the panel I3 is to fold down over the panel I2.

In the present instance the main panel H in its middle portion carries the word Slow while the upper and lower portions of the same panel carry the words School and Crossing respectively. When the panels are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the word Slow will be covered by the panels l2 and I3 and the face of the panel 13 will then be exposed. The face of the panel l3 carries the word Stop, this being the position of the panels when the children are going to school or leaving for home. At other times of the day and particularly while school is in session, it is not required that the traffic stop but it is necessary that the traffic be cautioned since children during school hours must occasionally cross the streets at the school crossing. At such periods the parts should be in the position shown in Figures 2 and 4 with the word Slow appearing in the place of the word Stop. The form of the sign should also be alternated from the octagonal form and preferably to the square form. Since the panels l2 and I3 are rectangular in form and of suitable dimensions, they may be employed either for covering up the middle portion of the panel II or for converting the octagonal form of sign into the square or rectangular form, The panel [I carries indicia in the three portions of the panel but only on one side thereof. The panel 12 carries the word Crossing on only one side since it exposes the same word when it is folded into the Figure 1 position. The panel l3 carries the word School on the exposed side in the Figure 2 position and the word Stop in the Figure 1 position.

movements of the pins l6, l1, and 18.

channel of the post" I0 is a latching bar 22 which them into latching position.

The panels may occupy the alternative positions shown in Figures 3 and 4 but it is necessary that they may be latched in either of the two positions to prevent unauthorized disturbance by children as well as to prevent their being blown about by the wind. For this purpose I provide three pins l6, I1, and i8 which project onto the paths of the panels l2 and I3. These panels are provided with apertures |9,'20, and 21 for receiving the-pins. The pins l6, I1, and I8 have down-turned hooks so that they not only pass through the proper apertures but that they hook against the edges of the apertures. parts are in the Figure 4 position the pin I! is idle but the pin l8 engages the aperture 2l"'and:

the pin l6 engages the aperture I 9. If the panel i2 is folded upwardly into the Figure 3 position the aperture will receive the pin I1 and this panel will then be further held in latched posi-..

tion when the panel [3 is folded down over it into the Figure 3 position; When the panel I3 is foldeddown the pin I! will pass throughthe aperture 2i as well as through the aperture 20.

Latching means are provided for controlling the In the is'secured' to the post by means of pins 23 which are-slideable inslots 24 of the latching bar 22. The ends of the pins 23 are secured within the wallof'the post as to project sufficiently to permitthe ready sliding movements of the latching bar 22. The pins I 6, l1, and I8 are firmly se-' cured to the latching bar 221 to move upwardly and downwardly with the. movements of the latching bar. The panels l2 and'l3 are provided with slotted apertures as best shown in Figure 6 so that the pins have freedom of upwardand downward movementin these slots to release them from latching position as well as to carry The'latching .bar is further provided with a thumb piece 25 for the convenience-of the operator in sliding the latching bar up or down. Ordinarily the latching bar is held by gravity in its down or latching position'so that it is only necessary to pull the latching bar upwardly for-releasing the pins from the latching position.

Occasionally it becomes necessary to guard against unauthorized disturbance of the sign so as to maintain the sign in the desired position. Thelatching bar 22 is therefore provided with an aperture 28 registering with an aperture 21 in a side wall of the post lfl'when the latchingbar is in its lowermost position. By inserting a padlock 28 through the registering apertures the panels l2 and 13 may be held in fixed position in either the position shown in Figure 3 or in that shown in Figure 4.

The sign as above described is designed for use at crossings in school zones but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the utility of the sign may be extended to cover other traflic and road signs. Its extension for advertising purposes is obvious and I therefore reserve to myself theright to use the structure hereinafter claimed for any and all purposes for which it is adapted.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I When the claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An interchangeable sign including a main or base panel in octagonal form having three bands of indicia, the middle band being in rectangular form and the other two bands being in trapezoidal form, and a pair of supplemental panels hingedly secured to said main panel on opposite edges of the middle band thereof, said supplemental panels each having substantially the form and dimensions of the middle band of said main panel whereby said supplemental panels may both be folded over the middle band of said main panel to provide a, sign of octagonal form or folded-over the end bands of said main panel to provide a sign of rectangular form.

2."Aninterchangeable sign including a sign post-anda mainor base panel carrying indicia in three bands on the face thereof, two supplemental panels each hingedly secured to said main panel to either overlap the middle of the three bands of said main panel or to overlap one of the edge bands, said supplemental panels carrying indicia to replace the indicia on said main panel concealed by said supplemental panels.

3. 'An interchangeable signincluding a sign post and a main or base panel rigidly secured thereto and carryingindicia in three bands on the face thereof, a lower supplemental 'panel hingedly secured to said main panel to overlap either the lower or the middle band of said main panel, an upper supplemental panel hingedly secured to said main panel to overlap 'eitherthe upper band of said main panel or themiddle band and said lower supplemental panel, said supplemental panels carryingindicia to replace the indicia on said main panel concealed by said supplemental panel.

4.- An interchangeable sign including a sign post and a main or base panel carrying indicia in three bands on the face thereof, two supplemental panels each hingedly secured to said main panel to either overlap the middle of the three bandsof said main panel or to overlap one of the edge bands, said supplemental panels carrying indicia to-replace the indicia on said main panel-concealed by'said supplemental panels, and means for latching both of said supplemental panels panehsaid supplemental panels carrying indicia toreplace theindicia on said main panelconcealed by said supplemental panels, a latching bar slideably secured within the channel of saidpost, and pins projecting from said latching bar and through said post and through said main panel,- said supplemental panels-being provided with apertures -so positioned as to receive said pins in either position of adjustment.

MARTIN A. SORENSEN. 

